Campaign '94.

2 More Jump In Board Chairman Race

December 14, 1993|By Linda Young, Tribune Staff Writer.

Much like last-minute shoppers rushing to the mall before the doors close on Christmas Eve, a flurry of political candidates swept into the Du Page Board of Election Commissioners to beat Monday's deadline to file for the March 15 primary.

County Board member Gwen Henry got the last of four ballot spots in the Republican race for County Board chairman, waiting at the commission counter until six minutes before the 5 p.m. deadline to turn in petitions.

The former Wheaton mayor said she would stress her experience in local government during the upcoming campaign.

Robert Schroeder of Naperville turned his petitions in less than an hour before Henry arrived. Schroeder, a two-term County Board member, said grabbing the last spot on the ballot would have been nice, "but I'm not paranoid about it."

Schroeder said he would have turned petitions in earlier, but he had to go out after more signatures after several were incorrectly notarized.

Henry and Schroeder join former County Board member Judith Crane Ross and former Regional Transportation Authority Chairman Gayle Franzen in the GOP race to succeed outgoing Chairman Aldo Botti. Ross drew the top spot on the ballot after both turned in their petitions Dec. 6 during the first day of filing.

One rumored candidate who did not join the chairman's race is former York Township GOP Chairman Jerry Marchese.

Marchese, a bitter political foe of Senate President James "Pate" Philip (R-Wood Dale), the county Republican chairman, circulated nominating petitions, but never turned them in.

He did not, however, go quietly into the night. In a letter issued Monday, Marchese took shots at the GOP organization that he says has "become a party of insiders and political bosses, a party whose goal is concentrated on taking over the private sector with the running of golf clubs, restaurants, airports and the like."

The day's longest wait went to incumbent County Board members Gert Coit and Wallace Brown, whose petitions in District 3 were stamped less than two minutes before the deadline.

Coit, 73, who turned in both candidates' lists, spent much of the day at the county's administration building in Wheaton to make sure she wouldn't be late.

Coit and Brown, who are running as a team, face challenges from former board member Kenneth Moy and from Jerry Elsner, the former Botti aide whose job was eliminated last month by the County Board.

Additional GOP candidates in three other board districts also filed Monday. Mark Vietzen of Wood Dale is challenging the entrenched team of William Maio and Floyd Sanford in District 1; Judy Brown became the fifth candidate in District 2; and Betty Lewis was the fifth to file in District 4.

Two seats are up for election in each of the six County Board districts.

No Republican challengers to incumbent Sheriff Richard Doria, Treasurer John Lotus Novak, Clerk Gary King and Regional Schools Supt. Berardo DeSimone emerged, but Democrats assured themselves of a primary race when both George Primm of Downers Grove and Cara Walker of Wheaton filed Monday for sheriff.

Timothy Ryan, 23, who made headlines when he demonstrated wearing a gas mask in front of the Judicial Office Facility, plagued by bad-air problems after its 1991 opening, filed for the Democratic nomination for county clerk. Ryan lost a bid for Circuit Court clerk in 1992.

Democrats also had at least one party member file in five County Board districts. There are no incumbent Democrats on the County Board and there has not been one since 1986 when Democrat Jane Spirgel retired.

Du Page also has a handful of legislative primary races. County Board member Michael Formento is challenging incumbent state Sen. Beverly Fawell (R-Glen Ellyn) for the Republican nomination in the 20th Senate District.

And in the hotly contested 41st District, newly appointed Sen. Kirk Dillard of Hinsdale and Patricia Trowbridge of Downers Grove have officially begun the campaign to succeed Thomas McCracken, who resigned to become chairman of the Regional Transportation Authority.

In the state House, first-term GOP incumbents Patricia Lindner of Aurora, James Meyer of Bolingbrook and Judy Biggert of Hinsdale have primary challengers. Thomas Hartwell of Elgin, owner of God's Gyms in Aurora and Elgin, has filed to run against Lindner, while Darien Ald. Kathleen Bazon and Downers Grove precinct committeeman James McCarthy are challenging Meyer and Biggert, respectively.

In Kane County, much of the Republican primary election attention will fall on the race to succeed retiring Sheriff John Randall.